Optical fibers are subject to increasing bandwidth demands placed by data centers and high-performance computers. Many of these applications and devices require increasing data transmission rates through constant or constricted fiber geometries. In particular, bandwidth density is at a premium in many applications including but not limited to data centers, front panels, opto-electronic chips and packages, between data center shelves and in fiber raceways.
In general, it is understood that bandwidth density can be improved in fiber optic communication systems in at least three ways. For example, the bit rate of the signal being transmitted through the fiber can be increased. Another approach is to increase the number of signal wavelengths being carried in each optical core or pathway within a given fiber, e.g., wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). A third approach is to increase the number of pathways per unit area within the fiber, e.g., spatial division multiplexing (SDM). In general, each of the foregoing approaches can be used alone or in combination to improve bandwidth intensity. When these approaches are combined, the improvements realized in bandwidth density can be multiplicative.
Some recent developments have related to increases in the bit rate of signals. However, these increases have not been realized at a pace necessary to meet recent demands for increases in optical fiber bandwidth density. Recent WDM developments offer some promise, but significant increases in bandwidth intensity have yet to be realized with this approach. Some advancement in bandwidth density has been realized through SDM approaches employing multiple spatial modes in multimode and few-moded fibers, but interconnections have been costly.
There accordingly remains a need for optical fiber technologies that provide increases in bandwidth density. Preferably, these technologies can accomplish the increases in bandwidth density without significant increases in cost and/or other drawbacks. It is to the provision of such optical fiber technologies that the present disclosure is directed.